


Guilt

by SuperRedRobin (SweetFanfics)



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-24
Updated: 2012-11-24
Packaged: 2017-11-19 10:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/SuperRedRobin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/397729">Nightmares</a> There’s a soft pressure on the back of his head which jerks him out of his nightmare. It’s the same dream as before. The same dream that hasn’t let him sleep for the past two nights now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guilt

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [BUCKET’S ART.](http://bucketdraws.tumblr.com/post/21024272862)

There’s a soft pressure on the back of his head which jerks him out of his nightmare. It’s the same dream as before. The same dream that hasn’t let him sleep for the past two nights now.  
  


—  
  


_“Robin!”_   
  


_It’s the yell that catches his attention. Kon whips around, eyes darting up from where the yell came from. Instead of finding out who had yelled, his eyes catch the body plummeting to the ground._   
  


_A cape black as night flaps around the small body, hiding the brightly colored uniform from his eyes._   
  


_Kon feels his throat dry up. His eyes wide in fear as he waits for Tim to turn in mid-air and use his grappling hook. But he’s already half-way down when Kon suddenly thinks,_ ‘He’s unconscious.’  
  


_The force with which he takes off makes the family he had just saved cry out in surprise. And leave a good sized crater where he had been standing._   
  


_But he can’t focus on that right now._   
  


_He needs to get to Tim._   
  


_Kon_ has  _to catch him._  
  


_‘I’m not gonna make it…’he suddenly thinks._   
  


_Near frantic panic floods him, making him push himself harder._   
  


_But it’s to no avail._   
  


_Kon falters mid-air as Tim’s body hits the concrete with a sickening thud._   
  


—  
  


The sound of it is still ringing in his ears as Kon looks up, wondering what made him wake up.  
  


“Hi.” a soft, hoarse voice greets him.  
  


He blinks in shock at the blue eyes gently looking down at him. “You’re awake.” Kon states dumbly.  
  


A corner of Tim’s lips goes up, just a small upturn to hint at a smile. But the dark circles around his tired blue eyes, the bandages wrapped around his head and body, the fading bruises make the smile look more sad than anything else.  
  


The fingers at the back of his neck move slowly, sifting through the soft hairs as the smile grows. The gentle caress make sudden tears well up in his eyes. Kon swallows past the lump in his throat, guilt wriggling around in the pit of his stomach. “How you feeling?”  
  


“Alive.” Tim states simply, hand urging the larger boy to sit closer to him. The chair makes an uncomfortably loud screeching noise as Kon drags himself closer to Tim. The closer proximity mixed with the soft touch and softer smile makes his guilt rise.  
  


He can feel a hand gripping him around his neck, choking him and making his voice go low and hoarse. “I’m so sorry.”  
  


“For what?” Tim asks, no infliction in his voice except genuine confusion.  
  


The fingers tighten around his vocal chords. Making him feel as though he’s wrestling the words out. “For not catching you.”  
  


“It wasn’t your fault.”  
  


Kon shakes his head, looking down at the white sheets, not willing to hear otherwise. “I should have…I should have been there with you. I should have caught you. I should have-”  _hurried saving those civilians turned around faster realized sooner that you were unconscious should have flown faster._  
  


Two fingers stroke his cheek, urging him to look up. But Kon feels too ashamed to meet Tim’s eyes.  
  


“Kon…It wasn’t your fault.”  
  


Kon shakes his head harder. Tim’s fingers are more insistent, forcing the meta’s face up. And he waits for Kon’s eyes to cautiously look into his. Then, he repeats his words slowly and with complete sincerity. “It  _wasn’t_  your fault.”  
  


If only he could believe that…But Kon nods, if only to get this topic out of the way. Tim’s fingers are slow and gentle in their motions. Sweeping back Kon’s messy hair, tracing the worry lines and dark circles.  
  


When they freeze after a long moment, Kon looks up from his perusal of Tim’s hospital gown. There’s a growing panic in those blue eyes that Tim is trying to temper.  
  


“Is something wrong?” Kon asks worriedly, his stomach twisting over and over again.  
  


Tim swallows, Adam’s apple bobbing and pale lips pressing together tightly. And when they tremble, Kon feels fear spread its icy fingers around his heart and  _squeeze_.  
  


“I…” Tim’s voice falters. His lips press together again, trembling as he tries again. There’s a sudden wet sheen to his eyes when he speaks, “I can’t…feel my legs.”  
  


The last word hasn’t even left his lips when the tears fall. Seeing that breaks something inside of Kon. Makes him go numb and cold all over. He can only stare dumbly at the wet trails, whispering, “It’s my fault. I’m so sorry Tim. I didn’t-“  
  


A ragged sob ends his sentence half-way. Tim’s hands immediately pull him against his chest. Kon feels like the child he never was when he buries his face into Tim’s chest. His hands lie flat against Tim’s back, pulling at the cloth as he sobs once more. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”  
  


Tim hushes him, the noise a soft breathe against his forehead. But Kon doesn’t feel it. He can’t feel anything. Everything feels too cold. He feels sick. His fingers tremble as they feel the soft ‘thump thump’ of Tim’s heart. His shoulder shake with the force of his next sob, not feeling worthy of the hands stroking his hair soothingly.  
  


A sudden drop of wetness on his forehead makes Kon come out of his place. A part of him blanches hard when he sees the wet spot in front of Tim’s gown. And when he looks up, Kon wants to go throw himself down on a Kyrptonite knife. Because Tim is crying.  
  


And it’s all his fault.  
  


He’s ready to leave. Ready to give into the urge that’s been telling him to just fly away and not look back. To fly all the way to the North Pole or up into space and just scream his feelings out. But Tim’s fingers dig into his skull, his voice trembling in a way Kon’s never heard before.  
  


“No…please…I need you…” he pleads, blue eyes stormy with emotions.  
  


“But…” Kon’s half standing, bent over uncomfortably to remain within Tim’s reach. “I hurt you…I…”  
  


The fingers in his hair almost hurt and they communicate Tim’s anger and fear well enough. “I need you…” Tim repeats, his voice trembling just slightly, “to stay here with me…”  
  


Kon looks into Tim’s eyes, feeling unsure and worthless as he hovers in place.  
  


“Please…” Tim whispers.  
  


Every bone in his body is telling him to say no. But…Tim  _never_  asks stuff of him. And that shakes him more badly than Tim’s fall  _and_  apparent paralysis. It also humbles him and makes him nod once in agreement.  
  


Relief shines in Tim’s eyes, over shadowing the fear and pain. “Hold me?” he asks quietly, “Just until I go back to sleep?”  
  


“But you’re hurt…” Kon argues, eying the small red stain on the left side of the bandages wrapped around Tim’s head. Tim doesn’t reply, only tugs insistently at Kon until the meta is lying in bed next to him.  
  


It’s nerve wracking being like this. A dull ache is growing inside his skull, numbing his brain and making him incapable of any thoughts. The silence in his head is dull and heavy but it’s silence…  
  


And that is a welcome relief from the past few days. Kon holds Tim as close as he dares, taking care to avoid any bandaged places. Tim’s hands rest lightly over his chest, slowly stroking the cloth as they lie together.  
  


When they pause and tremble, Kon starts to look down at Tim. But Tim leans in to press his face into Kon’s shoulder, hiding his tears from the other man’s eyes. Kon feels wretched and more shitty than he _ever_  has in his life as he cradles Tim against him.  
  


He feels the wetness growing against his shoulder and squeezes his eyes shut.’I’m so sorry…’he apologizes inside his head, his hands stroking up and down Tim’s back.  
  


_‘I’m so sorry…’_


End file.
